Rarely are entry doors made of solid, strong materials. Often they have partially hollow or particle board cores, reinforced more or less by interior ribs or stiles. Commonly, edge and interior frame members are enveloped between thin sheets of material. Door latches, door locks and bolts are commonly fitted into the edge frame member on the side of the door opposite the hinges. This edge frame member is easily broken by a sharp kick planted not on the lock or latch, but just next to it; as a result of the sharply imposed force, the lock, kept in place by the companion parts on the door jamb, tears the adjacent outer part of the edge frame member from the main body of the door, allowing the broken door to swing inwardly. Only the outer half of the edge frame member breaks away because the latch or lock is mortised in the middle of the edge frame member.
One known prior art security device utilizes a large metal channel that slips over the edge of the door inwardly beyond the door knobs or door levers, the channel having holes for passage of the knobs or levers. A manufacturer of one such device states that the purposes are (1) to encase the lock; (2) to prevent the lock from being torn out of the door; and (3) to make the door as strong as the lock. It is believed, however, that the channel operates effectively for the reason that in order for rupture to occur, the inner half of the edge frame member must now break away along with the outer half of the edge frame member, the connecting portion of the channel tying these two frame parts together. While effective, the channel structure is quite bulky and unsightly. Installation requires the door latch or lock parts to be removed and reattached.
The object of the present invention is to make a vastly improved and unobtrusive security device in the form of a strap or bracket that, without in any way affecting the latch or lock actuators, ties the inner half of the edge door frame member to the outer half of the edge door frame member at the region of the lock or latch, thus greatly increasing the ability of the door to resist rupture.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of this character in which a shock absorber is interposed between the door and the edge frame mebmer thereby to dissipate the thrust of the kick.